Today I decided to change things up a bit when it came to Sunday Mass. I have been attending the same church for quite a few years now, but something told me to step out of the boat and go back to the church I attended growing up! I’ve had a pretty hectic week, so I needed a fresh of breath air.I’ll be honest… I felt really uncomfortable and weird about going back. I knew that the Lord was asking me to step out of my comfort zone for this short hour, so I went. As I was walking into the church, I noticed that all of the doors were wide open, and all of the lights were off. Weird, right? I walked in and I overheard two of the older church ladies at the gift shop talking about how the power was out… What…? I chuckled to myself and just shook my head. The Lord was up to something. I slid into one of the pews, pulled out my rosary, and just started praying. Mass started. Still no power. We made it all the way through mass without the power coming on which meant no microphones, which meant that the lectors and Father had to talk super loud, which meant that everything was echoed, which meant that I didn’t hear a single thing…*inseart face palm emoji*
Once I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to hear anything that was being said, I just started reflecting and praying on my own. The word “listen” kept popping into my mind. Was Jesus up there laughing at me and telling me to listen to the echoed words that I could hardly make out…?
The word “listen” has been on my heart all day, and I think the Lord asked me to step into this uncomfortable situation so I would fully hear Him whisper this word to me.
Hearing the voice of God requires a listening heart. Hearing the voice of God requires silence- something I sometimes find uncomfortable. It is so important that I myself, and all of us, quiet our hearts and embrace the stillness that allows us to truly know that He is God. Listening to God is like listening to your best friend – before we can hear Him, we need to be ready to listen. If you are talking to your best friend and your mind is distracted, you cannot hear the other person. The same goes for God. If we want to hear Him speak, we need to remain queit and really listen to what He is saying. A simple conversation with Him can change your life.
We live in a world full of chaos. Everywhere we go there is noise that competes with our minds, keeping us from letting our thoughts get below surface level. Hearing God’s voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us. It’s easier said than done, but it CAN be done!!! Listening to God requires us to committ our hearts to understanding His message, and listening to God requires a right attitude in our hearts. We all desire God’s will for our lives, so we need to trust that He will direct our paths. We need to listen to His message and be quick to obey. I can tell you from personal experience that when you truly listen to God and obey Him, you will discover a life that is full and rich with purpose, confident you are following His plan.
Having a listening mind and heart is something that I am going to focus my prayer around this week as I am getting closer and closer to this new adventure!!!!
I hope all of you have a beautiful week!! I am praying for all of you <3
-Kenzie 
